1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of powering direct current (DC) devices and, more particularly, to a method and system for intelligently supplying DC power to devices in accordance with device supplied power requirements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital consumer electronic devices have been proliferating at an astonishing rate. It is presently commonplace for a consumer to have many of these devices, often operating at the same time. Examples of digital consumer electronic device include, but are not limited to, mobile telephones, portable music devices, digital cameras, personal data assistants, speakers, media center hubs, audio-video equipment, scanners, printers, monitors, joysticks, and battery charging devices. As prices for these devices continue to fall, capabilities rise, and consumer demand increases, it is expected that the sales and use of these devices will only increase in the future, perhaps at a geometric growth rate.
The majority of the aforementioned digital consumer electronic devices operate by consuming relatively low quantities of direct current (DC) power, yet have power requirements large enough to make exclusive reliance upon batteries a non-viable option. Portable versions of these devices often rely upon both batteries for portable use and DC power, typically supplied via a power-adapted alternating current (AC) source or by power supplied via a direct current (DC) source that may be DC-to-DC power converted to match the power requirements of the target device, to operate at a stationary location and to recharge the battery. Because many of these devices can be communicatively linked to a computer or media center hub, and can therefore be proximately located to one another, providing sufficient power outlets for these devices can be problematic. Further, having large quantities of power cables, each configured specifically for a particular device, can result in cable management problems, can be a fire hazard, can obstruct pathways, and can cause consumer confusion.
Many device power issues relate to each device having different, and generally incompatible, power requirements. Occasionally, connectors for each device can have different physical dimensions, to prevent the wrong connector from being connected to the wrong device. Mating different DC connectors to appropriate devices can be challenging and frustrating to device users, especially to traveling users that must repetitively set-up and tear down their device infrastructure.
Other times, DC connectors can fit an incorrect receptacle for the wrong device. When a DC connector has been incorrectly inserted, the device may operate properly from a user perspective, though the power requirement differences can degrade the device. Alternatively, the device can fail to receive sufficient power to turn on. In other situations, the device mated with an incorrect power connector can either damage internal electronic components of the device, thereby rendering the device inoperative, or can blow an inline fuse or circuit breaker of the device.
A number of attempts have been made to alleviate the problems associated with conventional DC power supplies, each having shortcomings. One solution provides a single power supply with manually adjustable settings, with different settings causing the power supply to conform to different power requirements. An extension of this concept provides several DC connectors, which a user can selectively connect to the manually adjustable power supply, with each connector matching a particular DC receptacle standard. Most consumers, however, lack the knowledge or patience to correctly perform these manual setting adjustments.
An even further extension of this concept is to key the various DC connectors to corresponding power settings so that when a connector is selectively attached to the power supply, the power supply settings are automatically configured in accordance to the keyed connector. This solution still requires a user to correctly attach a proper DC connector, which can lead to errors. Additionally, the various keyed DC connectors can be small items, which are easily lost, left unpacked, or misplaced.
Other solutions require different, but still intrusive, user-connector manipulations and/or manual setting adjustments. Still other solutions involve non-standard power outlets and power supply sources to be used to power the consumer devices, require additional data communication lines be connected to power regulating electronics over and above a power line so that an external data source can convey device power requirements to the power regulating electronics, and have other substantial shortcomings. Additionally, many of these solutions fail to overcome problems relating to having too many power cords for the number of available power outlets, a problem which often directly results in cable management and pathway obstruction challenges.